Stream restoration pleases Randolph Hills neighbors

$400,000 project repairs erosion, improves stormwater management

State Sen. Richard Madaleno (D-Dist. 18) of Kensington, former State Sen. Frank Shore, Randolph Civic Association President Matthew Tifford, Andy Frank, the head engineer for the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission and Garrett Park Mayor Chris Keller cut the ribbon at Waverly-Schuylkill Park on May 2.

A recently-completed streambed restoration project at Waverly-Schulykill Park has neighbors touting the change as "Shangri-la."

"My son says when he wakes up in the morning and looks out he thinks we've moved, but we haven't moved," said former State Sen. Frank Shore, who lives near the park between the Garrett Park and Randolph Hills communities and refers to the remodeling that way.

The $400,000 streambed restoration project, which had its ribbon-cutting on May 2, was a first-of-its-kind project in Montgomery County, according to Andy Frank, the project manager from the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.

The streambed restoration transformed the small creek running through the park from a steeply-banked, eroded trench to a wider series of small dams that slow the flow of the steam and allow for the natural recharge of the groundwater.

"It's a very unique project in that one of the goals was to restore the connection of the stream and its flood plain," Frank said. "We think that one of the big benefits of this project is it actually helps provide a degree of stormwater management that normal streambed restorations would not and we think that could be a benefit for other tributaries that have no stormwater management in the county."

The neighbors are benefitting as well. Two mallard ducks have already moved into the improved environment, Shore said, and a kickoff celebration featured an organ grinder, a musician, two cellists and other community members celebrating the revival of a park that has fought off numerous development proposals and survived being used as a community junk heap.

Matthew Tifford, president of the Randolph Civic Association, said the transformation has excited neighbors, who were active in the streambed restoration plans.

"You never really saw the water," Tifford said of the trench-like conditions that once existed at the yet-unnamed stream. "We've all been amazed by how much water there actually is."

Now, Tifford said, children can play safely by the stream, and several released tadpoles in it at the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

"The whole community is just really excited," Tifford said. "People are coming here and just saying, Wow, it's so much better.'"